The Books of Enoch, Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4

122 INTRODUCTION
In a fragmentary Coptic apocalyptic Gospel, the Antichrist and his
followers are thrown into chains of fire; then there appears the Great Devil
who takes up his abode at Chorozain and at Bethsaida and, presenting himself
as a god, causes many people to go astray. Enoch pronounces a sermon of
warning against him:^ 'Then Enoch shall say unto them in that day: "This
is not God, believe not on him. But this is the Son of Iniquity (avo/xta);
this is the Devil (ScdpoXos) who from the beginning hath led man astray from
life. Lo, in the land of Inheritance (KXripovofila) shall the Christ do judgement
. . .'; the continuation is missing.
In a late Ethiopic book the phrase of 4 Esd. 11:2: 'and the clouds gather
upon it (sc. the eagle)' is applied to Enoch and Elijah confronting the Antichrist
born of an Arab woman.^
In the MS. Vat. Reg. 2077 (sixth to seventh century) containing the
Epitoma Chronicon of Prosper of Aquitaine there is an account 'de duobus
testibus: dicitur venire Enoch et Helia praedicaturi adventum domini et
diem iudicii mensibus XLII... ut tribus et semis annis per eundem Heliam
dei notitia confirmetur, de qua dicit (quotations from Dan. 9: 27 and Matt.
24:i5).3
A CaroUngian poem on the last days, entitled (in one manuscript) de
Enoch et HeliaCy^ contains these lines:
Apparebunt ante summum saeculorum iudicem.
Enoch magnus et Helias • quondam raptus in polum, Inminente die iudicii.
Qui docendo corda patrum, convertunt in filios.
inbuunt et infideles • iustorum prudentia, Inminente die iudicii.
Qui tres annos sexque menses, dum doctrinae serviunt,
atque multos ad perenne caeli regnum convocant. Inminente
Turn repente serpens ater, iam peccati filius.
orbe toto virulentus, frendens saevit dentibus. Inminente
Et Christum bello superbo, antichristus appetens.
contra recte structa prauus* dissipare nititur. Inminente
Tantos (tanto Par.) inprimis prophetas, Christi plebes (plebe Par.) ac duces.
sternit ense plurimique Christi fiunt martyres. Inminente . . .
1 See H. G. E. White, New Coptic Texts Bibl. Nat. Lat. 16668 (ninth century), ff. 21'-
from the Monastery of Saint Macarius, 1926, 22' (checked by me), and Brussels MS. 8860-7
p. 21. (beginning of the tenth century), ff. 18^-20^.
2 Ed. J. Perruchon and I. Guidi, Le livre des See K. Strecker, MGH Poetae, iv. 2 (1923),
mysteres du del et de la terre, PO i, i (1907), 84. 491-5, nr. XIII; cf. E. Diimmler, Rythmorum
3 Th.Mommseny MGH auct, ant, ixiiSgz), ecclesiasticorum aevi Carolini specimen, 1881,
493. pp. 9-12, nr. VI (only from the Brussels MS.).
* Two manuscripts are preserved: Paris,